Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, what is now DeSoto County was within the territory of the Native American Calusa tribe.

In 1513, Ponce De Leon sailed into present-day Charlotte Harbor near the mouth of the Peace River to put in for repairs and maintenance on his ships.

In 1521, Ponce De Leon attempted to establish a colony at or near Charlotte Harbor but again was turned away by the Calusa who wounded him.

In 1783, East Florida was returned to Spain at which point today's DeSoto county was once again Spanish territory.

Also in the 1870s, Union veteran Robert C. Hendry took up cattle ranching on the Joshua Creek in the now-defunct settlement of Davidson.

[4] During World War II, DeSoto County operated the Carlstrom Field Air Base, which provided training for both American and British pilots.

Twenty-three British pilots were killed while training at the base and are honored at DeSoto County's Oak Ridge Cemetery, which is located in the town of Arcadia.

The base was then sold to the State of Florida for one dollar and later converted into a mental health facility known as G. Pierce Wood Memorial Hospital.

Hurricane-force winds persisted for an hour, damaging most of the structures in the county and causing some to be completely destroyed.

The lowest elevation in DeSoto County is sea level and is located in the Peace River near its mouth.

The largest body of water in DeSoto County not including the Peace River is a man made reservoir located within the RV Griffin Reserve and is not open to the public.

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a plurality of registered voters in DeSoto County.

The Charlotte Sun produces a section dedicated to Desoto County called The Arcadian.

Archived March 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Locally, the section is offered as a standalone for residential delivery.